Abstract: An endoscope having an elongate shaft, an objective arranged in a distal end region of the shaft for generating an image of an object field in an image plane. The objective having a beam splitter, and an image recorder for recording the image of the object field and an optical waveguide for forwarding illumination radiation from a proximal region to the distal end region of the shaft. The endoscope being embodied as a contact endoscope, a sensor area of the image recorder arranged in the image plane and an emergence portion of the optical waveguide adapted to forward at least some of the illumination radiation to the beam splitter to illuminate the object field.

Abstract: In an embodiment an optical arrangement includes a multicore fiber having at least a first fiber core configured to guide a first illumination light and a second fiber core configured to guide a second illumination light, wherein the multicore fiber comprises a fiber scanner configured to deflect the multicore fiber or the multicore fiber is followed by a mirror scanner; and a wavelength dispersive beam combiner configured to spatially superimpose the first illumination light and the second illumination light in an object space.

Abstract: An optical probe (2) for optically examining an object (1) is described, said optical probe having a first optical beam path for a scanning imaging method and a second optical beam path for a spectroscopic method. The optical probe comprises a first optical fibre (9) in the first optical beam path and a scanning apparatus (10) that is configured to laterally deflect the first optical fibre (9) or illumination light (31) emerging from the first optical fibre (9) for the purposes of scanning the object (1) during the scanning imaging method. The optical probe comprises a second optical fibre (11) in the second optical beam path, said second optical fibre being configured to guide excitation light or detected object light for the spectroscopic method, and a beam splitter filter (15), wherein the beam path of the scanning imaging method and the beam path of the spectroscopic method are brought into partial overlap in the probe (2) by means of the beam splitter filter (15).

Abstract: An endoscope having an elongate shaft, an objective arranged in a distal end region of the shaft for generating an image of an object field in an image plane. The objective having a beam splitter, and an image recorder for recording the image of the object field and an optical waveguide for forwarding illumination radiation from a proximal region to the distal end region of the shaft. The endoscope being embodied as a contact endoscope, a sensor area of the image recorder arranged in the image plane and an emergence portion of the optical waveguide adapted to forward at least some of the illumination radiation to the beam splitter to illuminate the object field.

Abstract: An endoscope having an elongate shaft, an objective arranged in a distal end region of the shaft for generating an image of an object field in an image plane. The objective having a beam splitter, and an image recorder for recording the image of the object field and an optical waveguide for forwarding illumination radiation from a proximal region to the distal end region of the shaft. The endoscope being embodied as a contact endoscope, a sensor area of the image recorder arranged in the image plane and an emergence portion of the optical waveguide adapted to forward at least some of the illumination radiation to the beam splitter to illuminate the object field.

Abstract: A device for contactless optical distance measurement includes a polychromatic light source, a light analysis unit and a measurement head. The measurement head has an aperture opening and an optical lens system, which has a chromatic longitudinal aberration. The optical lens system includes a first refractive lens element and a second refractive lens element. At least one of the refractive lens elements has at least one aspherical lens surface, and the first refractive lens element and/or the second refractive lens element has an optical material with an Abbe number 20<=Vd<=41. The optical lens system has such a chromatic longitudinal aberration that a measurement region, which equals an axial focal shift of the optical lens system between the wavelengths of 450 nm and 700 nm, is between 0.2 mm inclusive and 10 mm inclusive.

Abstract: An optical probe (2) for optically examining an object (1) is described, said optical probe having a first optical beam path for a scanning imaging method and a second optical beam path for a spectroscopic method. The optical probe comprises a first optical fibre (9) in the first optical beam path and a scanning apparatus (10) that is configured to laterally deflect the first optical fibre (9) or illumination light (31) emerging from the first optical fibre (9) for the purposes of scanning the object (1) during the scanning imaging method. The optical probe comprises a second optical fibre (11) in the second optical beam path, said second optical fibre being configured to guide excitation light or detected object light for the spectroscopic method, and a beam splitter filter (15), wherein the beam path of the scanning imaging method and the beam path of the spectroscopic method are brought into partial overlap in the probe (2) by means of the beam splitter filter (15).

Abstract: An illumination arrangement according to the invention, in particular for an endoscope, comprises at least three light sources for generating a respective input light beam, and a beam combination device (5, 21), wherein the beam combination device (5, 21) comprises at least two beam splitters for combining the at least three input light beams to form an output light beam, at least three collimator lenses (7, 8, 9) embodied as GRIN lenses and serving for collimating and coupling a respective one of the input light beams into one of the beam splitters, and at least one further GRIN lens for coupling the output light beam into an optical waveguide. The invention also relates to a beam combination device and a method for coupling at least three input light beams into an optical waveguide, in particular into an optical waveguide of an endoscope.

Abstract: An endoscope having an elongate shaft, an objective arranged in a distal end region of the shaft for generating an image of an object field in an image plane. The objective having a beam splitter, and an image recorder for recording the image of the object field and an optical waveguide for forwarding illumination radiation from a proximal region to the distal end region of the shaft. The endoscope being embodied as a contact endoscope, a sensor area of the image recorder arranged in the image plane and an emergence portion of the optical waveguide adapted to forward at least some of the illumination radiation to the beam splitter to illuminate the object field.

Abstract: An optically corrective microprobe for white light interferometry is disclosed. In white light interferometry which uses different spectral ranges, the dispersion-induced dependency of optical path differences on the wavelength between measurement light bundle and reference light bundle is compensated by an efficient, easily miniaturized arrangement. A reference beamsplitter with partially reflecting filters in at least two different spectral ranges for generating at least two transmitted measurement light bundles and associated reflected reference light bundles of nonoverlapping spectral ranges is arranged between the light output surface of the light-conducting fiber and the focusing optics.

Abstract: An optically corrective microprobe for white light interferometry is disclosed. In white light interferometry which uses different spectral ranges, the dispersion-induced dependency of optical path differences on the wavelength between measurement light bundle and reference light bundle is compensated by an efficient, easily miniaturized arrangement. A reference beamsplitter with partially reflecting filters in at least two different spectral ranges for generating at least two transmitted measurement light bundles and associated reflected reference light bundles of nonoverlapping spectral ranges is arranged between the light output surface of the light-conducting fiber and the focusing optics.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a miniaturized optically imaging system with high lateral and axial resolution for endomicroscopic applications. To provide a miniaturized optical head which permits an appreciable increase in photon efficiency with high lateral and axial spatial resolution compared to conventional GRIN optics the plane side of a refractive, plano-convex, homogeneous lens defines a plane entrance surface of the optical system, and first and second GRIN lenses are arranged along the optical axis orthogonal to the entrance surface, wherein the first GRIN lens being arranged downstream of the refractive lens for reducing the divergence of the highly divergent light bundle transmitted from the object through the refractive lens, and the second GRIN lens being provided for adapting the light bundle transmitted by the first GRIN lens to the aperture and object field size of the downstream transmission system.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an aluminoborosilicate glass containing alkali metals for the production of optical components with refractive index gradients which are generated by ion exchange of monovalent metal ions in a base glass comprising at least silicon oxide, boron oxide, aluminum oxide and an alkali metal oxide, particularly for the production of gradient index lenses (GRIN lenses).